This disclosure relates to hunting equipment, and more particularly to an arrow which is capable of disposably transporting a payload to a target.
In the sport of game hunting it is conventional for a hunter to select a spot believed to be in a path or other area where the game is likely to be and wait for the animal in a tree or other hiding place. Typically, a hunting stand is erected on a tree above the expected travel path of the animals where a hunter can stay without searing the animal and without leaving a human scent. To improve the hunter's odds, an attractant such as the scent of such animal may be left in the area so that other animals of the species would investigate it and while doing so, offer more target opportunities for the hunter.
Furthermore, the hunter hiding in a tree has to descend to the ground and spread the scent manually in the target area. A conventional alternative was to wet a rag or other absorbent material, tie the rag to an arrow and then fire the arrow from the tree stand. However, such approach suffers from major disadvantages. For example, the liquid can be spilled on the hunter or his clothes. Moreover, some of the scent is dispersed during the arrow flight and very little of the liquid reaches the ground.
My co-pending application discloses an improved scent dispersing arrowhead where a hollow body has a pair of opposing cutouts through which an animal attractant, such as liquid scent can exit the hollow body. The hollow body is configured to retain a frangible liquid-scent containing capsule. A plunger is configured to slide into the scent capsule enclosure and cause rapture the scent-containing capsule upon impact of the plunger with a solid surface, such as ground, rock or tree limb. While this arrowhead has distinct advantages over conventional scent dispersing arrows, it was discovered that a narrow forward tip of the arrowhead tends to at least slightly penetrate the soil and thus disperse a portion of the scent liquid into the soil.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,905 to Edlund, discloses a scent dispersion arrow including an active arrow tip which uses a compression fitting to attach to an out shaft. A scent dispersion head, containing a sponge holding a liquid scent had a cavity in the arrow tip. The cavity is sealed against the compression fittings. When deployed, the arrow tip advances in the cavity dispersing the scent through openings in the arrowhead.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,842 to McLearan, discloses an arrow for dispersing a scent with an active arrowhead. The arrowhead is blunt and includes a deployment orifice connected to a rigid tube. A scent is contained in the arrow body in a container which is sealed around the tube. Upon impact, the arrow body drives the container along the tube thereby forcing the scent liquid through the tube and out of the orifice to be deployed at the target.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,584 to Bishop, discloses a scent releasing arrow which includes a hollow tubular metal shaft having a pad of absorbent material located within it. It's adjacent a group of openings. A cylindrical sleeve covers the openings until the arrow is deployed. Upon deployment the cover slides forward uncovering the holes and releasing the scent.
Similarly, United States Patent Publication No. 2008/0051231A1 to Everett, discloses a hollow scent arrow having a plurality of holes. The hollow arrow includes a wick stick adjacent the holes filled the scent liquid. Also within the hollow arrow is a heavy slug which is free to slide within the arrow compartment behind the wick stick. Upon deployment, the slug advances pressing the wick stick and releasing the scent out of the holes.